Catch the Spirit hosts writing program at Jackson library

Catch the Spirit of Appalachia will hold a 2-hour holiday celebration of its writing program starting at 7 p.m. on Nov. 9 in the Jackson County Public Library.

The program will open with stories, poetry and song in a fast-paced production, showcasing the creative talents of Rev. Jack Hinson, Waynesville; Rev. Victoria Casey McDonald, Sylva; Matthew Baker, Franklin; Rev. John Reed, Sylva; Betty Brown, Tuckasegee; Mary McGlauflin, Maggie Valley; Nancy M. Pafford, Cherokee; Edwina Crowe Jones, Cherokee/Lexington; Roger Chapman, Lincoln County; Linda Owen Vinson, Honea Path, S.C., and others. At 7:45 p.m. there will be the book signing and a reception with refreshments. This year Catch the Spirit of Appalachia has published a record 11 books. All of the showcased books will be available for purchase. For more information call 828.631.4587.

Reading Room

So, Scout (Jean Louise) comes back home to Maycomb — where “everyone is either kin or almost kin”— at age 26 and after being “away” and living in New York City for several years. Sixteen years have gone by since we last heard from her in the pages of To Kill a Mockingbird, and the Maycomb she comes home to isn’t the same Maycomb we know from the 1960 novel.

This Must Be the Place

For the better part of the last decade, my life during the summer was music festivals. From Maine to California, Michigan to Arkansas, I was there, in an endless crowd, cheering on the greatest musicians of our time. In those innumerable moments, I felt more alive, at home, and at peace, than anywhere else in the world.